Chicken Soup with Brown and Wild Rice

As with most of my cooking, this soup doesn't have an exact recipe. My first attempt at making something similar was off of a recipe found on 365crockpot if you want to google it. That being said, this is my favorite soup to make at home and all of my kids eat it.

Ingredients:

4 1/2 cups of chicken broth

2 cups of water

2 chicken breasts cooked and chunked (if I remember correctly, the original recipe you put them in raw and let them cook, but I didn't like that so I precook mine)

1 box of Rice-a-Roni long grain and wild rice

1/2-1 cup of brown rice (This isn't in the original recipe, but I like more rice in it as well as a more thicker versus runny soup. I normally just grab a couple of handfuls of rice and plop it in. A white rice could also be used as well as using Costco's wild rice mix)

1 cup of diced carrots or shredded if preferred

1 cup of diced celery

1/4 cup of flour

1/4 cup of butter

1 cup of half and half (fat-free does work in this)

salt and pepper to taste

Combine the broth, water, carrots, celery, chicken, rice and box of Rice-a-Roni with seasoning packet in a large crockpot or pot for stove. Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours. If you put your chicken in raw take it out and cube or shred it and put it back in.

In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour (and I normally do a dash of pepper) by tablespoon to make a roux. Whisk in the half and half a little at a time until fully mixed and smooth. Stir cream mixture into soup and cook on low for 15 more minutes. (The original recipe had the amounts of the cream mixture at least doubled. I don't know if it is having added more rice or not, but for me, it is way too much and steals from the flavors and makes it a bit bland and too thick. The way I fixed that problem was to add chicken bouillon granules and water) Salt and pepper to taste and enjoy the comfort food!

This makes enough to feed 4 adults and 6 kids ;)

Ham and Potato Soup

I found this on pinterest and is was SO good! I did NOT add the chicken bouillon granules to the water because I cooked the hambone in water and used that as stock which had a lot of flavor. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

3 cups peeled and diced potatoes
1/3 cup diced celery
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
1 1/2 cup diced cooked ham
3 1/4 cups water
2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground white or black pepper, or to taste
5 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
4 slices american cheese
1/2 cup shredded cheddar
Directions

Combine the potatoes, celery, onion, ham and water in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the chicken bouillon, salt and pepper.
In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour with a fork, and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in milk as not to allow lumps to form until all of the milk has been added. Continue stirring over medium-low heat until thick, 4 to 5 minutes.
Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot, and cook soup until heated through. Serve immediately.

Cheesy Vegetable Chowder

Another pinterest success! This is super yummy!

2 Tablespoons butter

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 cup finely chopped carrot

1 stalk celery, finely chopped (feel free to add more celery if you like celery; I don't, so I don't add much)

1 Tablespoon minced garlic

4 cups chicken broth (I usually use a mixture of low-sodium chicken broth and broth made with chicken soup base because it gives it such nice flavor)

2 large baking potatoes, peeled and chopped

1 Tablespoon flour

1/2 cup water

2/3 cup milk

2 cups chopped broccoli

2 heaping cups shredded cheddar cheese

Melt the butter in a large soup pot. Add onions, carrots, and celery and saute over medium heat until tender. Add garlic and cook 1 or 2 additional minutes. Add chicken broth and potatoes, bring to a boil, and cook until potatoes are tender. Mix flour with water, add, and simmer until soup is slightly thickened. Add milk and broccoli and cook until broccoli is just tender and soup is heated through. Stir in cheese, allow to melt, and serve.

Corn Chowder

1/2 lb. bacon, cut up

1/2 c. diced onion

2 medium stalks celery, chopped

2 T. flour

3 c. milk (or if you want it soupier 4 cups is fine too)

1/8 tsp. pepper

1 can (3.75 oz) cream style corn

1 can (16 oz) tiny whole potatoes, drained and diced

Cook bacon in soup pot until crisp. Drain fat, reserving 3 T in pot. Set bacon aside.

Cook onion and celery in bacon fat over medium heat until tender. Stir in flour. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until bubbly. Gradually stir in milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute.

Stir in pepper, corn and potatoes. Heat until hot. Stir in bacon. Enjoy!

This makes a great freezer meal too!

Cream of Tomato Soup

I thought some of you might still have V-8 in your fridges from cooking night and with it being cold out, soup sounds good. I found this on Real Mom Kitchen. This isn't quite as tomatoey as soup out of a can, so my kids actually liked this better!

1/3 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
3 cups V-8 or tomatoe juice
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2-3 cups of milk
1 tablespoon sugar
salt and pepper to taste

1. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Then whisk in the flour until smooth.
2. Add the V-8 and stir until it thickens.
3. Next whisk in the baking soda followed with the 2 cups of milk, sugar. Cook until heated through. Taste the soup and add the other cup of milk if you would like it creamier. Divide into 4 bowls and serve.

Cream Cheese Chicken Soup

We had this for dinner tonight and it was a big hit at our house. Really quick to throw together too.

2 tablespoons butter
1 yellow onion, finely diced (I used 1/2 of 1)
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 stalks celery, diced
1/2 cup diced carrots (about 2 regular carrots or a handful of baby carrots)
3 cups chicken broth (I used 4)
2-3 potatoes, peeled and finely diced
1 cup milk
4 tablespoons flour
1 (8 oz. package) regular or light cream cheese
2-3 (about 1 pound) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and diced

In a large pot, melt the butter and add the onion, garlic, celery and carrots. Saute, stirring often, for 3-4 minutes, until the veggies are slightly tender and the onions are translucent.

Add the chicken broth and potatoes. Bring the soup to a simmer and cook, partially covered, until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.

In a liquid measuring cup, vigorously whisk the flour and milk together until smooth. Whisk the mixture into the soup, stirring quickly, and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, until the soup begins to thicken slightly. Stir often to ensure the soup doesn’t burn.

Soften the cream cheese in the microwave until it is very soft/melty, or let it set at room temperature for until soft. Add the cream cheese to the soup in small tablespoon-size pieces. Let the pieces sit in the soup and warm through then whisk or stir the soup until the cream cheese melts and mixes in well.

Add the cooked chicken and heat through. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.

Navy Bean Soup

1 pound of dry navy beans in 6 cups of water
Boil, reduce heat, simmer 2 minutes
Remove from heat and leave covered 1 hour. Then drain and rinse.

In large pot add to beans...
1 cup of ham and a ham bone
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 large onion
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
6 cups of water

Simmer in crockpot all day on high.

Lasagna Soup

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 pounds Italian sausage (bulk or with casings removed)
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 6 cups chicken broth

• 2 bay leaves
• 8 ounces fusilli pasta
• 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil
• 8 ounces ricotta
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Pinch of pepper
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella

Instructions

1. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the sausage and sauté, breaking it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until the sausage is no longer pink, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain any excess fat from the pot. Add the onions and sauté until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes and sauté for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and sauté until the paste turns a rusty brown, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juice, the broth, and the bay leaves and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.
2. Add the pasta, then increase the heat to medium-high and boil the soup until the pasta is tender to the bite, following the time recommendations on the pasta package. Discard the bay leaves, then stir in the basil. If desired, season with salt and black pepper to taste.
3. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, the Parmesan, the 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and the pinch of pepper. To serve, place about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture in each bowl, sprinkle with some of the mozzarella, and ladle the soup on top. Makes about 13 cups.

Chicken Tortilla Soup (Crock Pot)

A recipe I LOVE from "Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook." I've edited it a bit for the sake of ease.

Ingredients:
1 -28oz can diced tomatoes, with their juice
1 -10oz can red or green enchilada sauce (I like the red best)
2 medium-size yellow onions chopped (I use about 1/2 of 1 onion)
1 -4oz can chopped green chiles, drained
1 clove garlic minced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 cups water
1 -14.5oz can chicken or vegetable broth
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
A few grinds of black pepper
1 bay leaf
3/4 tsp dried oregano
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, cooked, drained and shredded. (I usually cook mine whole in the soup, pull it out and shred it then return to the cooker)
1 -10oz can Mexican corn, drained

Directions:
Combine the tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onions, chiles, garlic, cilantro, water, broth, cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, bay leaf, and oregano in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours or on HIGH for 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

Add the shredded chicken and corn, cover and continue to cook on low for another hour. Discard bay leaf. (I usually add the corn at the beginning with the whole chicken breasts and then just shred the chicken at the end.

To serve ladle the soup into bowls. Sprinkle each serving with tortilla strips and grated cheese. Top with tablespoon of sour cream, a few slices of avocado and cilantro sprigs. (We like it with chips, cheese, and sour cream!)

Hamburger Soup

I just made this recipe up based on things I could eat...feel free to add/remove veggies to your liking! :)

Ingredients:

1# hamburger

6 cups beef broth (I actually used au jus)

15 oz can tomato sauce

1 can diced tomatoes

1/2 of a green pepper, chopped

3/4 c chopped onion

2 stalks celery, chopped

4 large yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed (into small chunks)

2T brown sugar

Brown the hamburger, drain. Add beef broth, tomato sauce, and brown sugar, and bring to a boil. Add in all of the other ingredients, bring to a boil again, then simmer for about 30 minutes or until potatoes are cooked through.

This was so, so yummy and made quite a good sized pot! You'll have to add salt, though, to your liking. It also would have been great with green beans or carrots, but I definitely wouldn't substitute the potatoes for anything. :)

Tuscan Soup

Here's another one for all you Olive Garden fans. This soup is a lot like the Zuppa Tuscana they have there. Enjoy!

1 lb. ground Italian sausage
1 1/2 tsp. crushed red peppers
1 large yellow onion, diced
4 T. bacon pieces
2 tsp. minced garlic
10 c. water
5 cubes chicken bouillon
1 c. heavy cream
1 lb. sliced potatoes with skins (about 3 large potatoes)
4-5 c. fresh spinach
Parmesan or Romano cheese, grated (optional garnish)

Saute Italian sausage and crushed red pepper in a large pot. Drain excess fat and set sausage aside. Using the same pot, saute bacon, onion and garlic for approximately 10 minutes or until the onions are tender. Mix together the bouillon and water; add to the pot; bring to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender, approximately 20 minutes. Add heavy cream and cook until heated through. Stir in the sausage. Add spinach just before serving.

Cream of Broccoli Soup

Tasty, tasty!

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoons margarine
• 1 onion, chopped (I use about a quarter of one)
  
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 8 cups broccoli florets
• 3 tablespoons margarine
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in medium sized stock pot, and saute onion and celery until tender.
2. Add broccoli and broth, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Puree soup and return to heat. (I like it chunky so I just coarsely mash it with a potato masher.)
3. In small saucepan, over medium-heat melt 3 tablespoons butter, stir in flour and add milk. Stir until thick and bubbly, and add to soup. Season with pepper and serve.

Cheesy Potato Soup

I know a couple of other people have posted similar recipes, but this one is really yummy too! I was looking for one that didn't require chicken broth, and found this! It's best with a yellow/gold potato, and it definitely needed salt....but GREAT flavor! I've also served it in homemade bread bowls.

INGREDIENTS
6 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
4 cups water
8 potatoes, peeled and cubed (I use yukon golds)
15 slices American cheese - broken into pieces
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 1/3 cups milk

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Saute the onions and celery in the butter for 5 to 10 minutes, or until tender.
Stir in the water and potatoes, bring to a boil and then simmer until the potatoes are tender. Add the cheese and stir until melted.
In a separate small bowl, combine the flour and the milk and stir well until the flour is mostly dissolved. Pour this into the soup slowly, stirring constantly, until soup has thickened, about 5 minutes.

Yummy Chicken Tortilla Soup (courtesy of Kris Erickson)

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
3 tablespoons margarine
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 (14 ounce) cans chicken broth
4 cups half-and-half
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup fresh salsa
1 (15 ounce) can creamed corn
6 boneless, chicken breast halves - cooked, skinned
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 (1.27 ounce) packet dry fajita seasoning
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
16 ounces tortilla chips
8 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese


DIRECTIONS
In a large pot over medium heat, saute the garlic and onion in the butter or margarine for 5 minutes. Add flour and stir well, cooking for 1 minute more. Add the broth and half-and-half. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low.
Add the soup, salsa, corn, chicken, cumin, fajita seasoning and 2 tablespoons cilantro. Stir and continue to heat for 15 minutes. Crumble tortilla chips into individual bowls, add 1/2 ounce shredded cheese to each bowl and ladle in soup. Top each bowl with more crumbled chips, remaining 1/2 ounce cheese and remaining 1 tablespoon cilantro, and serve.

Crock-Pot Tortilla Soup

My friend Marcy made this for our get together last weekend and it was awesome so I thought I would pass along her recipe!

Crock Pot Tortilla Soup
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed (you can put in cooked or uncooked)
2 cups whole kernel corn
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 - 14.5 oz. cans chicken broth
1 - 10.75 oz. tomato puree
1 - 10 oz. diced tomatoes and chilies
1 t salt
1 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1/8 t red pepper
1/8 t black pepper
1 bay leaf
Cover + cook 5-6 hours on high for uncooked chicken, 3-4 hours high if chicken is already cooked. Discard bay leaf and serve with cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips.

Just a thought...this one would be good to double and eat half and freeze half for a meal later. :)

Bacon-Potato Soup

Haven't made it in awhile, so no picture to entice you, but it is good! I've had to add some flour to thicken it up in the past here in this lovely Washington climate.


6 cups potatoes, peeled and diced
5 cups water
2 cups chopped onions (or minced onions)
4 chicken bouillon cubes
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Combine potatoes, water, onions, and bouillon cubes in greased 5 to 7-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low heat 6-8 hours or until potatoes are tender. Stir in crumbled bacon, milk, and grated cheese. Cover and cook an additional 20 minutes or until cheese is melted. Makes 10-12 servings

Serve with hot biscuits and garnish soup with fresh chopped parsley.

VARIATION: Add 1/2 cup diced celery and 1/2 cup chopped carrots with potatoes at the beginning of cook time.

Bake Potato Soup

4 baking potatoes

2/3 c. flour

6 c. milk

1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 c. sour cream

3/4 c. chopped green onions

6 bacon slices

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Pierce potatoes and bake for 1 hour then peel potatoes and coarsley mash them.

Over medium heat whisk together the flour and milk until thick and bubbly (about 8 minutes) Add potatoes, 3/4 cup cheese, salt and pepper. Once cheese has melted remove from heat. Then stir in sour cream and bacon. Cook over low heat approximately 10 mintues. Do not boil. Garnish with remaining cheese and green onions. Serves 8

Smokey Corn Chowder

1/2 c. chopped yellow onion
4 tbs. butter
1/4 c. flour
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
4 c. milk
2 can whole-kernel corn (drained)
14 oz pkg kielbasa

Saute onion in butter until tender but now brown. Stir in flour, salt and pepper. Add milk and bring to a boil stiring constantly until thick and bubbly, about 1 minute. Stir in corn and sausage. Reduce heat, simmer approximately 10 minutes.